Cisco in Another Deal
February 9, 2007
Cisco Systems, the maker of equipment for computer networking, said early today that it planned to buy the social-networking software maker Five Across Inc. for an undisclosed sum, expanding into user-generated content.
The purchase of Five Across, which is privately held, is part of Cisco's strategy of acquiring small, niche technology companies to diversify from its traditional focus on telecommunication equipment like the routers and switches that direct Internet traffic.
Software developed by Five Across helps companies set up blogs and podcasts, as well as audio, video, and photo sharing on their Web sites.
Cisco's acquisitions include the Internet security firm IronPort. Last year, it closed its acquisition of cable set-top box maker Scientific-Atlanta.
